What is the difference in years a country was a european overseas colony between Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe?

60 years, with Cape Verde ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe?

561 years are reported by both, from 1462 to 2022.

Where does this data come from?

Bastian Becker (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Years a country was a European overseas colony. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Cape Verde vs Sao Tome and Principe: Years a country was a European overseas colony

Cape Verde

514 years

in 2022

Sao Tome and Principe

454 years

in 2022

Cape Verde rank

1st

Sao Tome and Principe rank

3rd

Years a country was a European overseas colony over time

Cape Verde
Sao Tome and Principe

How they compare

Cape Verde currently reports 514 years against 454 years in Sao Tome and Principe, a difference of 60 years.

That makes Cape Verde's figure about 1.1 times Sao Tome and Principe's.

Across all 561 years both countries report, Cape Verde has been ahead every year.

Cape Verde ranks 1st and Sao Tome and Principe ranks 3rd of 159 countries.

Cape Verde has averaged higher in every one of the 57 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Cape Verde	Sao Tome and Principe	Difference	Ahead
1460s	4.5 years	0 years	4.5 years	Cape Verde
1470s	13.5 years	0 years	13.5 years	Cape Verde
1480s	23.5 years	0 years	23.5 years	Cape Verde
1490s	33.5 years	0 years	33.5 years	Cape Verde
1500s	43.5 years	0 years	43.5 years	Cape Verde
1510s	53.5 years	0 years	53.5 years	Cape Verde
1520s	63.5 years	3.6 years	59.9 years	Cape Verde
1530s	73.5 years	13.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1540s	83.5 years	23.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1550s	93.5 years	33.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1560s	103.5 years	43.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1570s	113.5 years	53.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1580s	123.5 years	63.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1590s	133.5 years	73.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1600s	143.5 years	83.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1610s	153.5 years	93.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1620s	163.5 years	103.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1630s	173.5 years	113.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1640s	183.5 years	123.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1650s	193.5 years	133.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1660s	203.5 years	143.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1670s	213.5 years	153.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1680s	223.5 years	163.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1690s	233.5 years	173.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1700s	243.5 years	183.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1710s	253.5 years	193.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1720s	263.5 years	203.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1730s	273.5 years	213.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1740s	283.5 years	223.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1750s	293.5 years	233.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1760s	303.5 years	243.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1770s	313.5 years	253.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1780s	323.5 years	263.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1790s	333.5 years	273.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1800s	343.5 years	283.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1810s	353.5 years	293.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1820s	363.5 years	303.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1830s	373.5 years	313.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1840s	383.5 years	323.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1850s	393.5 years	333.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1860s	403.5 years	343.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1870s	413.5 years	353.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1880s	423.5 years	363.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1890s	433.5 years	373.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1900s	443.5 years	383.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1910s	453.5 years	393.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1920s	463.5 years	403.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1930s	473.5 years	413.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1940s	483.5 years	423.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1950s	493.5 years	433.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1960s	503.5 years	443.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1970s	512.5 years	452.5 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1980s	514 years	454 years	60 years	Cape Verde
1990s	514 years	454 years	60 years	Cape Verde
2000s	514 years	454 years	60 years	Cape Verde
2010s	514 years	454 years	60 years	Cape Verde
2020s	514 years	454 years	60 years	Cape Verde

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher years a country was a european overseas colony, Cape Verde or Sao Tome and Principe?: Cape Verde, at 514 years against 454 years in Sao Tome and Principe as of 2022.
What is the difference in years a country was a european overseas colony between Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe?: 60 years, with Cape Verde ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe?: 561 years are reported by both, from 1462 to 2022.
How do Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe rank globally for years a country was a european overseas colony?: Cape Verde ranks 1st and Sao Tome and Principe ranks 3rd of 159 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Bastian Becker (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Years a country was a European overseas colony. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Years a country was a European overseas colony
Unit: years
Source: Bastian Becker (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 159 places, 88,747 data points, 1462–2022
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Number of years the country has been colonized from overseas by the European colonial power(s) in a specific year, between Belgium, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Italy, or a combination of them.